The satellites in Amazon's new internet-beaming megaconstellation in low Earth orbit (LEO) are bright enough to disrupt astronomical research, a study has found.
The study — which was posted on the online repository Arxiv on Jan. 12 but has not yet been peer-reviewed — analyzed nearly 2,000 observations of Amazon Leo satellites. It concluded that the spacecraft exceed the brightness limit recommended by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) that aims to ensure harmless coexistence of satellite megaconstellation with astronomical research.
